5 Tips To Working With Nginx

If you’re looking to host a website for your business, you might have come across Nginx, a web server that has grown in popularity since its release in 2004.

Nginx is a diverse open source software program that is used as a load balancer, reverse proxy and HTTP cache.

This software even performs better than the Apache web server, using less memory and handling up to four times more requests per second compared to Apache.

Nginx is fairly easy to install and access. However, some users find it challenging to deal with some common Nginx errors. Troubleshooting common errors on Nginx doesn’t have to be a stressful affair.

Here are 5 tips to working with Nginx:

1.Keep your software versions up-to-date

Software developers constantly keep on enhancing the current versions of their applications, fixing bugs and improving their user interface. It’s therefore a wise idea to use the most recent software versions since they’ll definitely be more stable and optimized. In addition, new software releases are more compatible and perform better than older versions. Kick off by installing the latest NGINX/NGINX+ versions. They boast of having better capabilities that will definitely boost performance.

2.Increasing client keepalives

A keepalive is simply a request/message that your server sends to linked devices to check whether this link still operates. The maximum default keepalive_requests that clients can make in a single connection is 100. However, you can raise it to your preferred level. Keepalive_timeout can also be increased to let connections stay open for longer periods. It’s just one way to boost the performance of your Nginx server.

3.Frequently check up on your Nginx server

It’s important to monitor your server activity regularly so you can spot any issues that may exist and fix them. This kind of monitoring can help you gather an assortment of problems and have them fixed pronto. The biggest issue would probably be your server being down, limping or constantly dropping connections. Your Nginx server could also be sending incorrect information to clients. Try looking for performance monitoring tools that are compatible with your server, such as Dynatrace.

4.Disable unnecessary access logs

Basically, Nginx creates a unique log for each action performed within your server and saves it in an access.log file. However, you’ll probably not need this information in future. You can disable access_logs to save on hard drive space as well as additional processing allocations that may undermine your server’s performance. You can simply turn off the logs by using the access_log off command.

5.Enabling file compression using Gzip

A myriad of file transfer protocols utilize file compression and decompression techniques to aid in the secure transmission of files and requests. The Gzip application is used precisely for this role, allowing your server to compress a response made by a browser prior to sending it. Gzip enhances the efficiency of your Nginx server, helping to optimize it. It’s quite easy to enable Gzip, simply follow the instructions offered by your Nginx web hosting providers and you’ll be good to go.